Umbrella frame



Sept. 24-, 1940. E. KQHLER 2,215,738

Q UMBRELLA FRAME Filed Sept. '7, 1938 4 /NVENTOR.

EDUARD KHLER.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 24, 1940 UMBRELLA FRAME Eduard Kiihler, Schwabi s ch-Gmund, Wurttemberg, Germany Application September 7, 1938, Serial No. 228,873

In Germany January 26, 1938 T 5 Claims. (o1. 1s5 25 The invention relates to umbrella frames of the kind in which the stretchers are in the form of lazy-tong levers.

The difficulties heretofore encountered in connection with such umbrella frames arise mainly in connection with the means required for holding the stretchers in their extended position, and with so designing the stretchers that when extended they give the cover the usual arched or domed shape, without undue risk of the cover being turned inside out by gusts of wind striking its under surface.

According to my invention these difficulties are overcome in the following way.

In each of the stretchers the outermost member of one of the two series of limbs has an elas tic extension beyond the point at which it is pivoted to the outermost member of the other series, and the outer end of this extension is pivotally connected by a rigid or flexible link to one of the limbs of the lazy tongs, so that when the stretcher is extended the link exerts on the outer end of the extension a pull whereby the extension is bent into a curved shape and caused to arch the cover and also to retain the stretcher in its extended condition. Generally the link is at one end pivotally connected to a short arm projecting from the outer end of the extension, and has its other end pivoted to the outermost member of the other series of levers, close to the last joint of the lazy tongs.

It will be noted that the curvature obtained when the stretchers are extended is in no way due to any stressing of the cover liable to cause deterioration of the fabric.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, showing a preferred form of construction.

Fig. 1 is an elevation of the upper part of the stick with one of the stretchers, the stretcher being partly extended, and

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the stretcher in the same state.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of part of the stretcher, to a larger scale, in the fully extended condition.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view of the stretcher taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

The stick is tubular and telescopic, only the top section I and part of the section 2 below it being shown in Fig. 1. There may conveniently be three sections. The stretcher is composed of flat bars or limbs, and the two limbs 3 and 4 at the inner end of it are pivoted respectively to the ferrule 5 of the stick and the runner 6.

To these limbs are pivoted limbs l and 8, and

to the ends of these are pivoted two rods 9 and Hi, Portions of the limbs l, 8, with the rod Ill and a portion of the rod 53 form in the position shown in Fig. 1 a right-angled parallelogram, from one of the shorter sides of which the longer portion 9 of the rod 9 projects, this part il having a twist so that for the most part its wider sides are in planes perpendicular to the planes of the corresponding sides of the limbs 3, 4, l, 8. The rod ti, 9 is of elastic metal, and by reason of the twist referred to the part 9 can be bent as shown in Fig. 3.

At the outer end of the part 9 there is a bracket H with a hole l2 for thread used for fastening the cover, and this bracket has an arm it with a slot for guiding a link Hl having lateral studs i5 thereon, preventing its withdrawal from the slot. The link shown is a substantially rigid strip of metal, but instead of this a chain or cord may be used. The link is pivoted at [6 to the rod ill. The pivot it and the other pivots used, as at ll, l8, i9, 20, El, may with advantage be hollow rivets.

When the stretcher is extended from the collapsed position by pushing the runner 6 upwards the link i4 remains parallel with the part 9 till the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1. The studs it) then abut against the arm l3, and further extension of the stretcher causes the link I4 to exert on this arm a pull whereby the part 9 is bent as shown in Fig. 3. The pivots l6 and I! are then substantially in line with the direction of the thrust exerted by the bent part 9 and the extension of the stretcher is maintained without any need for a catch holding the runner in the raised position. Wind pressure acting on the under surface of the cover is incapable of turning the umbrella inside out, this being prevented by the links 14.

To prevent lateral flexing of the stretcher supplementary rods 22, 23 are provided, connecting the pivots I8 and i9 and the pivots and 2| respectively, these rods being so spaced from the parallel portions of the rods 4 and 8 as to leave gaps in which portions of the rods 3 and I lie when the stretcher is extended.

Collapse of the stretchers is produced simply by exerting a downward pull on the runner 6. In order that the downward movement of the runner may also serve to telescope the stick the bore 24 of the runner is flared at its lower part 25, and the flared part pushes back the resilient studs 26 whereby the sections of the stick are held in the extended position. The upward movement of the runner serves to extend the stick.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An umbrella frame comprising, in combination with a stick and a runner thereon, stretchers' each consisting of a lazy tong lever system having its limbs at the inner end pivoted to said stick and said runner respectively, the outermost member of one of the two series of levers constituting said lazy tong system having an elastic extension beyond its point of connection with the other series, with a link connecting an outer por-.

tion of said extension to an intermediate point on the outermost limb of the other series so that when the stretcher is extended said link exerts on the extension a pull whereby said extension is bent into a curved shape.

2. The combination claimed in claim I, said link being pivotally connected to the outermost limb of said other series, close to said point of connection.

3. The combination claimed in claim 1, together with a short arm projecting from said extension and having a slot wherein said link is slidable.

4. The combination claimed in claim 1, together with reinforcing rods pivoted with clearance alongside some of the limbs of said lazy tong system so that other limbs of said system lie between said rods and said first mentioned limbs when said lazy tong system is extended.

5. The combination claimed in claim 1, said extension consisting of a flattened metal rod having a twist through 90 whereby the wider sides of said outer portion of said extension are for purposes of flexing set in planes perpendicular to the planes of the wider sides of an inner portion of said extension, and said link consisting of a flattened metal rod the wider sides of which are in planes perpendicular to the planes of the wider sides of said outer flexing portion of said extension;

EDUARD KoHLER. 

